Generic Questions I Need to Ask

Comments

Unfortunately, that depends on which aide you happen to get the attention of.

I give everyone the benefit of the doubt unless they are repeat offenders, and if they leave peacefully I will not enemy them. I see no point in enemying newbies who just don't know (seen that happen too often).

Even older players that are more active and don't necessarily know Mhaldorians are unwelcome will get a chance from me (@Kresslack is one person that comes to mind).

Regarding Necromancers and Occultists in general, Hashan has zero problem with them except for Mhaldorians.

That helps, thank you.

I'm sort of torn around Occultist/Necromancer though... Occultist has more freedom, but I'm extremely attracted to the stealth ability that necromancers have, "blackwind"... Does Occultist have anything like this, or is there a way of gaining it otherwise? I know shadowcloak exists, is that as effective?

Actually, occultists have astral form which behaves, as far as I can tell, almost identically to blackwind. The details might be different, but as far as anyone else can tell they might as well be the same thing.

I believe both are relatively costly to maintain for more than short periods of time, although I don't know any figures. I think your options while in those forms are also extremely limited.

This is in a pretty deep contrast to the serpent ability phase, which can be maintained for fairly long periods of time (I think it has a cost, but it is not exceptionally major), and your restrictions are light enough that I've even heard of serpents dueling in phase.

Actually, occultists have astral form which behaves, as far as I can tell, almost identically to blackwind. The details might be different, but as far as anyone else can tell they might as well be the same thing.

I believe both are relatively costly to maintain for more than short periods of time, although I don't know any figures. I think your options while in those forms are also extremely limited.

This is in a pretty deep contrast to the serpent ability phase, which can be maintained for fairly long periods of time (I think it has a cost, but it is not exceptionally major), and your restrictions are light enough that I've even heard of serpents dueling in phase.

Oh, well that works well. Even if they are short periods, if they can be used as an escape or basically a quick-sneak ability, that would be decent.

I'm currently on serpent and just can't stand it, really not sure why...

How are Occultists for bashing in that case? One of the things that bother me about Serpent is the fact that I spend half of my bashing time at level 24 in Manara and places like that, but I lose health so quickly that I need to run back and forward to the denizen just to kill it.

If your problem with serpent is defence, occultist won't be an improvement. Scales is one of the best damage reducing abilities (10% resistance to any type of damage), and you learn it right away, while occultist doesn't have any damage reduction abilities until simulacrum, and then it's not as effective as scales. Occultist does have priestess tarot for active healing, but it's best used while hitting and running (because it takes balance and you don't want to sit there being hit while healing), so it doesn't solve that problem.

If you haven't learned a lot of subterfuge, or you just don't have a very good whip, occultist will be better offensively (though slower, which is bad for hitting and running). Serpent will be better than occultist later on, once you have high subterfuge.

Ashtan - City of Freedom. High population, mostly Chaos sided in the scheme of things, while not being a city based around Chaos. I have an alt that spends a ton of time in Ashtan, but hasn't joined yet. Not sure on RP potential/quality.

Cyrene - If you want nothing to do with PvP this is the place for you! Based entirely on RP, Cyrene is the culture hub in Achaea. Never had a long lived alt here, but the city is filled with very friendly folk @Jules‌ and @Sunny‌ come to mind immediately. Their politics are fairly honest, ya know, for politics. They are very big on everyone having a voice, from the Senate to the lowliest newbie.

Eleusis - Village of Nature (my place of residence). We PvP, we PvE, we RP, we dabble in everything pretty much. If you don't want your RP to dictate a whole heck of a lot, I don't suggest you come here. We are ruled by the Nature First oath we all swear. We don't restrict God worship, except @Sartan‌, and @Babel‌. We're the only "city" with the concoctions skillset as well. Join us if you like green stuff!

Hashan - Beyond the "What's Hashan?" joke, this place really isn't that bad in current times. Nice shopping to be had, the RP isn't spectacular, but it's there. Not really beholden to any code or creed, Hashan is just kinda there. Good city if you want to go unnoticed for a little bit, only to make your triumphant appearance onto the world stage.

Mhaldor - City of Evil. HEAVY RP! You start as a slave, basically a nobody, and are treated accordingly, though respectfully, provided you stick to the RP. I've had a positive experience with my current favorite alt in Mhaldor. While they seem gruff and uninviting, (Those lycopods being aggro are kind of a bitch at low levels) Mhaldor really is a good city to have a character in. If you opt to be devout, you have to follow @Sartan‌ though. City of Evil, God of Evil, it's kind of a thing.

Targossas - City of Good. HEAVY RP! While I have not personally experienced this city, from what I understand, it's what Shallam was back in the day. You are good, you don't hunt innocent denizens (mhuns, atavians, mingruk, gnomes) your purpose is to the Bloodsworn Gods, @Deucalion‌ and @Aurora‌. There's a lot of complaining done about and done from this city OOCly, personally I've gotten a little bit of it via @Daeir‌ IC, but Tohran deserved it.

CITYLESS HOUSES

Since I've already explained the cities for ya, figured the cityless houses deserve a bit of credit too, they tend to allow anyone of any city, though I'm sure there are exceptions. If Tohran wasn't a Sentinel, he'd be in one of these Houses.

Carnivalis Institute of Jestering (CIJ) - Jokers, pranksters, fools, performers. These guys will do anything for a laugh, and often do. Their base is in Delos, I used to remember how to get in, but don't anymore. A lovely group of folk to RP with. Not as RP heavy as the Eleusian, Mhaldorian, or Targossian Houses, but still great.

Merchants - I had an alt when they were still based in Hashan, now they have moved to Delos. Want to make money? Want to help create unique pieces that players will enjoy for years to come? This is your place to go!

By no means should you only go by what I've put in here. People in each of the cities will have a different perspective via their house, and what they base their character off of, PvE, PvP, merchanting, RP, etc...

Cyrene has managed to hold on to its identity as a peaceful city of artists and merchants where equal treatment is the cultural norm, and it's done that for the almost 10 years I've been there. As much crap as we get for the "Respect" bit (which does sound a bit corny), I think having our values of respect and neutrality very clearly and publicly stated helps preserve them when they are challenged from within (because they do get challenged, fairly frequently even). We also have a really good Imperiate, and have mostly always had good, moderate Imperiates, actually. Verrucht sets a tone of mutual respect with the citizens from the top, and does it regularly. We have *real* debates on the city channel.

I always hear the politics are fairly brutal compared to other cities if you're ambitious and want to make high city ranks (and I'm pretty sure people aren't making that up), but if you're happy to be a regular citizen (I am), Cyrene is a place where your leadership won't usually be trying to throw their rank about (even though they probably had to work much harder to get it). People are friendly and helpful.

Yes Cyrene may be filled with the friendliest people I have met, but a lot of that brings it's own problems. It seems some don't trust the friendly sort because they all -have- to have motives...*eyeroll* Some of us are just friendly because we like being around friendly people. Birds of a feather and all.

Hashan - Beyond the "What's Hashan?" joke, this place really isn't that bad in current times. Nice shopping to be had, the RP isn't spectacular, but it's there. Not really beholden to any code or creed, Hashan is just kinda there. Good city if you want to go unnoticed for a little bit, only to make your triumphant appearance onto the world stage.

Hello, @Stuneree, I have played a Hashani for 10 years now and will give you a far more knowledgeable and less unnecessarily deprecating description of Hashan.

If anything the shopping has declined over the past few years, though I do not know too many people to choose a city for its shopping. The RP is as good as anywhere if you put the effort in yourself. Hashan is quickly returning to its original position as city of Darkness with a growing influence of Twilight, God of Darkness and it has been highly active in that regard lately.

Hashan - Beyond the "What's Hashan?" joke, this place really isn't that bad in current times. Nice shopping to be had, the RP isn't spectacular, but it's there. Not really beholden to any code or creed, Hashan is just kinda there. Good city if you want to go unnoticed for a little bit, only to make your triumphant appearance onto the world stage.

Hello, @Stuneree, I have played a Hashani for 10 years now and will give you a far more knowledgeable and less unnecessarily deprecating description of Hashan.

If anything the shopping has declined over the past few years, though I do not know too many people to choose a city for its shopping. The RP is as good as anywhere if you put the effort in yourself. Hashan is quickly returning to its original position as city of Darkness with a growing influence of Twilight, God of Darkness and it has been highly active in that regard lately.

I conceed the point to the Hashani.

I admit my ignorance of Hashan as I was enemied about an IC century ago for group raiding after their leaders sent a newbie into Eleusis to kill my pony and my puppy. So @Rangor‌@Jhui‌ and a few others took me into Hashan for revenge, we killed all citizens, pets, mounts, guards, and denizens we could find. I stole a totem from Crossroads too! 120k fine that I will never pay.

To add on to what Jules said, Cyrene allows for a lot of broad, "shallower" roles and so deeper roleplay can be harder to find, if that's what you're looking for you. You won't find the push for heavy roleplay that you'd find in, say, Targossas and Mhaldor. However, it's there, if you're keen to look for it and only gets easier to find the more you establish yourself as a citizen.

As for Achaea in general - I have tried numerous MUDs over the years and I keep coming back to Achaea. I've been playing the game for twelve years now with no intention to stop.

"Gilgamesh, where are you hurrying to? You will never find that [everlasting] life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man."